Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!

 

Serving up food for thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW*. Come on in, sit anywhere and bring your appetite!

 

*FLCW, peppered throughout the ezine, stands for “Freelance Commercial Writer” – the designation for anyone who freelances for businesses (as opposed to writing magazine articles, short stories, poetry, etc.), and typically earns $50-125+ an hour.   

 

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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 5 – MAY 2009

Publishing the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002

Read it Online at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/may2009.html

 

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SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS SUMMIT 2009 – COMING IN LATE MAY!

Using social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to gain exposure, drive traffic, build partnership opportunities and generate quality leads during this economic slump? Join 300 (and counting) fellow small businesspeople and marketing pros as you get PROVEN strategies straight from top experts in the field. LIVE “virtual” event means you attend from anywhere. And until May 14th, save $200. Get all the details (and a gift valued at $39 – just for checking it out) at http://www.socialmediasummit09.com/pb/.

 

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“THE WELL-FED WRITER,” 2009 EDITION – COMING IN JULY!

Details at: www.wellfedwriter.com/twfwnew.shtml (I’m running out of both original WFW titles, so if you’re interested, get them now! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/books.shtml)

 

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ONE SALES LETTER, 77 RECIPIENTS, $80K IN NEW COPYWRITING BUSINESS??

All the details: http://savagemarketing.com/64000/cmd.php?af=761186.

 

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I NEED YOUR GREAT STORIES FOR THE EPUB! I’m seriously low on ALL courses and would love to get your success stories, strategies, tips and features. See “Coffee.”  

 

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MISSED MY TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”

38-PAGE instant download just $12! www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.

 

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THIS MONTH’S MENU:

 

I. APPETIZER: A GOOD COPYWRITER IS LIKE A GOOD BOOK (Part 2 of 2)

Applying the Laws of Successful Self-Publishing to Successful Copywriting!

 

II. “FIELD” GREENS: STILL CRAZY (ABOUT ELANCE) AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

FLCW Fan of Elance.com Beats the Odds and Makes the Online Job Site Deliver Big!

 

III. MAIN COURSE: WRITE YOUR OWN MONEY-MAKING WEBSITE (Part 2 of 2)

Canadian FLCW Shows How to Create Passive Income from Your “Passion Interests”!

 

IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips

Buffalo FLCW Parlays “Foot in the Door” Into Juicy (and Likely Long-Term) Gig!

TIP: OH FLCW Reminds: Polite, Uncomplaining FLCW’s Win Friends AND Jobs!

 

V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS

- THE WELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!

- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog 

- MISSED MY TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!

- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)

- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

 

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I. APPETIZER: A GOOD COPYWRITER IS LIKE A GOOD BOOK (Part 2 of 2)

Applying the Laws of Successful Self-Publishing to Successful Copywriting!

 

In last month’s Appetizer (http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/april2009.html), we explored how, as a self-publisher, I realized the #1 most powerful marketing strategy is to “Write a Really Good Book.” That by doing so, you unleash an army of unofficial salespeople eager to spread the word about your book. And finally, that the attributes of a Really Good Book can apply – with a bit of adaptation – to being a Really Good Copywriter. The book/copywriter equivalents are:

 

1) IN-DEMAND SUBJECT MATTER/IN-DEMAND COPYWRITING EXPERTISE: A book about a “hot” subject – whether mainstream or appealing to a sizable niche – is a great first step to a successful book. Similarly, a copywriter who has specific expertise in, say, a particular project type that’s in-demand and that few others have will likely be exceptionally valuable to businesses looking for those skills. Related to that:

 

2) REAL-WORLD INFORMATION/REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE: a “how-to” book offering UN-theoretical real-world information based on the author’s firsthand experience will be more credible and compelling. Ditto that copywriter who has industry-specific experience, training or education; those who can “speak” an industry’s language, AND the ability to write about that industry, will find a most receptive audience.

 

3) PROVIDES THE “NITTY-GRITTY”/HANDLES THE “NITTY-GRITTY”: The more a book offers specific, “spelled-out” detail and proven resources, the more valuable it’ll be to readers. Ditto for the copywriter who handles important details, things like: listening closely and asking ALL the necessary questions in the ONLY meeting/initial call, so you don’t have to disturb your client needlessly; formatting copy so it’s easy to understand and follow; saving your client work by looking up information or following up on people yourself – things your client thought he’d have to do.

 

4) FUN AND READABLE/FUN, EASY TO GET ALONG WITH: A book that’s enjoyable and fun to read will earn high marks and reader loyalty for that author, just as a writer who’s easy-going, upbeat, flexible to tight/changing deadlines will earn high marks and loyalty from their clients.  

 

5) PRODUCE A QUALITY BOOK/DELIVER A QUALITY PRODUCT: Put the time into creating a book that’s well edited, designed, laid out, indexed, and printed, and you’ll maximize the impact of the first four. Same with a copywriter. Do all the above AND be reliable on deadlines, prepared and presentable for meetings, turn in clean, error-free copy, and otherwise buttoned-up, and you’ll thrive. On that happy note, let’s eat!

 

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II. “FIELD” GREENS: STILL CRAZY (ABOUT ELANCE) AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

FLCW Fan of Elance.com Beats the Odds and Makes the Online Job Site Deliver Big!

 

OK, so I’ve never been a big fan of online job sites like www.elance.com. Great place to find cheap resources, but well-paying jobs? By and large, no. That said, a few intrepid souls, including Trish Lambert (www.successinsweatpants.com), have managed to not just do “okay” but financially thrive. Recently, she sent me this update: 

 

Peter: Since I first shared my Elance experience with you a few years back, there have been changes – good and bad – to the “grandfather” of freelancing sites. Through it all, I’ve continued to bid on and win awards across a wide spectrum of commercial writing projects. While my business has now diversified to where Elance is just one of several revenue streams, I still consider it a strategic tool in my business-building arsenal.

 

I continue to land quality clients from projects won there (and quality referrals from those clients) and have successfully joint-ventured with businesspeople I’ve met through Elance. So, Elance doesn’t just earn me good money; it helps me make valuable connections and pursue earning opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise come my way.

 

Sure, “junk” projects are common on Elance, but among the junk are real gems—and enough of them to make participating on Elance more than worthwhile! Here are four good reasons to give Elance a go:

 

1) Add an extra revenue stream that doesn’t require investing a lot of time and money.

2) Gain an additional revenue stream you can tap if your normal workload gets light.

3) Test new services and skills without public exposure.

4) Make connections that can be turned to more strategic purposes.

 

PB Note: Trish is sharing her expertise in a course called “Winning With Elance.” She believes strongly that more high-quality providers on Elance will attract more high-quality buyers. Course details at http://tinyurl.com/elancecourse. (P.S. Trish offers this impressive guarantee: Work the course, and you'll at least triple the course fee within three months of completion, or she'll keep working with you until you do. Strong stuff.)

 

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III. MAIN COURSE: WRITE YOUR OWN MONEY-MAKING WEBSITE (Part 2 of 2)

Canadian FLCW Shows How to Create Passive Income from Your “Passion Interests”!

 

In last month’s issue (http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/april2009.html), Canadian FLCW Nick Usborne (www.freelancewritingsuccess.com) shared an enticing vision: passive income streams from special-interest web sites you create to reflect your personal passions, and deliciously supplement our FLCW efforts (and one day, when tired of chasing down commercial work, perhaps replace some or all of that income). In Part Two, he provides the nitty-gritty detail. Check out Nick’s course on the subject: http://www.awaionline.com/d2/makemoneyonline.

 

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CREATING YOUR OWN MONEY-MAKING WEBSITE IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS.

 

The best part of creating information sites is that I write a page once, but get paid for months and years. One page I wrote in 2004 has generated $35,000 in affiliate income. Just 700 words that probably took me an hour to write. Sure, not every page yields such a payday, but pick a subject that turns you on, and you can help but create some winners. There are three steps to creating a passive-income-generating web site:

 

STEP 1: FIND AN INFORMATION GAP WITHIN A TOPIC THAT INTERESTS YOU.

Let’s use one of my sites, CoffeeDetective.com, as an example. I wrote about coffee simply because I like coffee. Actually, I love coffee. You’ve got to pick a topic that interests you, because the info-website model depends on creating many, many pages.

 

My Coffee Detective site has 600+ pages. Content from users helps, but most I wrote myself. Yes, 600 pages sounds intimidating, but know that I launched the site once I had about 15 pages completed. I then set myself a schedule to add new pages every two or three days. It took me three years (working very part-time) to do it. If your topic doesn’t interest you, you won’t want to keep writing, and without lots of pages, the money won’t flow. Once you have a broad topic, like coffee, find the information gap.

 

This model depends on a flow of free, organic search engine traffic. That means you need as many pages as possible appearing on the first page of search results for their respective keywords. And that means finding a niche or gap within your topic that generates a healthy demand from searchers, but has a low supply of quality web pages.

 

With CoffeeDetective.com, the gap wasn’t about coffee; it was about coffee drinkers. I write the site for beginners – people about to start brewing their own gourmet coffee at home. Your information gap can be a niche within the topic itself (coffee grinders, for instance) or a niche within the audience (beginners, advanced etc).

 

STEP 2: WRITE THE PAGES AND BUILD TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE.

Once you have a niche or gap within the topic, write your home page, figure out about ten principle categories for your subject and write those ten second level pages, and then keep writing new pages within each category. For instance:

 

Homepage – Beginners Guide to making gourmet coffee

One of ten categories – Choosing the best coffee maker

One page within that category – All about drip brewers

 

Once the structure’s in place, just keep writing, and start getting the word out so people can find your site. Use social media and share some top tips, with links back to your site. Participate in related forums and provide a link back to your site. Write articles and submit them to article directories, with a link back to your site. Writing new pages and promoting your site will be the two constants, week after week and month after month.

 

STEP 3: MONETIZE YOUR CONTENT

There are a variety of ways in which to make money from all the pages you have written and the visitors you receive. The two simplest ways are to add contextual ads (GoogleAdSense), and sign up for affiliate programs.

 

With the AdSense ads, you’ll make a few pennies or more every time a visitor clicks on an ad. With your affiliate links you’ll make money when someone clicks on a link and then buys a product or service from the affiliate merchant’s website.

 

Bottom line, this is not a get-rich-quick proposition. But your information site will become a growing asset as you add more and more content. The better the content and the more visitors you receive, the more money you will make. And that money will keep coming in – month after month and year after year.

 

PB: I’ve seen Nick’s newly-released course through AWAI on this topic: “How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites,” and it’s a winner. Remember, this is the info straight from the guy who used it to create a passive income stream averaging $4-5K monthly. Check it out at http://www.awaionline.com/d2/makemoneyonline. I’ve known Nick for many years and he’s one of the good guys – someone who’s genuinely interested in helping others succeed, and for a long time, has done just that through his books, newsletter and how-to-courses.

 

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IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips

Buffalo FLCW Parlays “Foot in the Door” Into Juicy (and Likely Long-Term) Gig!

TIP: OH FLCW Reminds: Polite, Uncomplaining FLCW’s Win Friends AND Jobs!

 

Got this uplifting update from Buffalo, NY FLCW Paul Chimera (chimera1@verizon.net). Buffalo’s a tough market for FLCW’s these days, so Paul’s a happy guy. After that is a great tip from Dayton, OH FLCW Jesse Reeves (www.ReevesWriting.com), one you’d THINK would fall into the “goes-without-saying” category, but alas, no.

 

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Peter: There’s nothing quite like having that proverbial foot in the door when you make your living as a FLCW. In addition to being a self-employed marketing writer and journalist, I’ve been an adjunct professor at a local, private 4-year college for eight years in addition to being the key writer for the school’s alumni magazine.

 

So, as those iconic ghost-busters intoned, “Who you gonna call” when your college decides it needs to completely overhaul its Web site? When they asked if I was interested, I almost asked them about the Pope’s religion!

 

The best part? The pay is extraordinarily good – by far the most I’ve ever made on a long-term project (or any freelance gig, for that matter). And there’s a 99 percent chance the opportunity will morph into a permanent part-time post as Web writer, if I want it.

Um, is the Pope Catholic? So get ye proverbial feet in the door, fellow writers, and it’s bound to swing open wider and wider. Paul Chimera – Buffalo, NY

 

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My biggest tip is to be polite and never, EVER complain about having to revise or do a rewrite. I got one of my best gigs because the graphic designer tired of his writer always complaining when clients would ask for rewrites. Having had enough, the designer dumped him and hired me. I can’t fathom losing out on such high-paying work over that.

 

PB: Neither can I. I recently polled a number of experienced graphic designers about what it would take to become their “go-to” writer. Several talked about losing patience with writers who complained about having to make edits to their work (amongst other things), to the point where the designers dropped them. This is a total mind-blower to me. Get attached to your after-hours work, not your commercial projects. Sure, if the client’s suggesting changes you feel will compromise the effectiveness of the piece, by all means speak up, but once you’ve gone on record, if they still want to change it, back off. They’ll appreciate your input, but not your whining.

 

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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS

- THE WELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!

- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog 

- MISSED MY TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!

- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)

- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

 

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I’M SERIOUSLY LOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!

Got a great strategy, approach or specific expertise you’re willing to share? Turn it into a Feature (MAIN COURSE) for the EPUB (400-500 words; query first). ALSO, send your “GREENS” (200-300 words), TIPS (150-200) and SUCCESS STORIES (200-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com. Archived issues at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.  

 

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The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog 

Weigh in on “Is There Such a Thing as a Recession-Proof Client or Industry?”, “THIS Is What Clients Want. Are You Delivering It?” (15+ comments), and others! Join the fun!

 

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MISSED MY TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”

 38-PAGE e-Transcript! $12: www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.

 

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AWAI COPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get 2 Extra Bonuses!

Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and more! TWO Bonus CDS: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.

 

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HOW CAN MY MENTORING SERVICE SERVE YOU?

For details and testimonials, visit www.wellfedwriter.com/Mentoring.shtml.

 

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NEW Subscribe/Unsubscribe feature. To Subscribe (YAY!), Unsubscribe (boo!) and/or update your address for the E-PUB, visit: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.

 

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